HB 826 proposes to revise Montana's tobacco tax laws by increasing the state tax on cigarettes. The bill would raise the tax from $1.70 to $2.70 for each package containing 20 cigarettes. This tax is precollected by wholesalers and applies to individuals who purchase cigarettes for consumption. The bill also retains existing provisions regarding tax exemptions for sales to tribal members on Indian reservations.
HB 815 sought to create a process for transferring the administration of all Montana school elections from school clerks to county election administrators. The bill established a target date of July 1, 2029, for this transition to be completed statewide. It required the Office of Public Instruction, county superintendents, and county election administrators to submit a report by March 1, 2026, detailing a statewide plan, including existing election structures, financial concerns, and a transition timeline. This report would then be used by a legislative committee to recommend necessary statutory changes.
HB 445 aimed to revise the legislative goals for public education in Montana. The bill sought to encourage public elementary and secondary schools to provide instruction in reading and writing cursive handwriting to all students. This instruction was intended to develop cognitive and fine motor skills and ensure students could read original historical documents, such as the United States Constitution. It would have amended current law to incorporate this as an explicit goal for the state's public school system.
HB 930 revises watercraft laws concerning nighttime boating and waterskiing. The bill allows motorboats or vessels to tow persons engaged in waterskiing or similar activities between sunset and sunrise, which was previously prohibited. This is permitted if the vessel and the towed person are properly illuminated, as determined by rules adopted by the fish and wildlife commission. The bill also exempts professional exhibitions or authorized races from this restriction. It grants the fish and wildlife commission rulemaking authority for these new provisions and appropriates $1,000 for rule development and information dissemination.
HB 436 would have required trappers to post notice signs when setting traps or snares near public trails and trailheads on public lands administered by the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Trappers would need to place signs within 1,000 feet of a trailhead or 100 feet of a public trail if traps are present. The bill specified requirements for sign size, durability, and content, including a warning message and contact information for the department. Trappers would also be responsible for replacing missing or illegible signs within 24 hours and removing them once traps are no longer in place.
HB 537 proposed creating a new "birth day" tax credit for resident taxpayers in Montana upon the birth of a child. The credit would be up to $3,000, or the total of the taxpayer's Montana income taxes, federal income taxes, and FICA contributions, whichever is less. This credit would be refundable, allowing taxpayers to receive a refund even if they have no state tax liability. The credit amount would be reduced for higher-income taxpayers and capped at $1,500 in certain situations, such as for parents filing separately or unmarried parents sharing custody. If passed, it would have applied to income tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.
HB 776 aimed to generally revise laws governing residential landlord and tenant relationships. The bill would have required property management companies to provide 90 days' notice to tenants for any changes to or termination of a rental agreement, specifically for tenancies exceeding one year. It also proposed updates to various definitions relevant to landlord-tenant interactions, including "property management company" and "case of emergency." Additionally, it would have adjusted the notice requirements for extending written rental agreements.
HB 782 revises the membership requirements for county planning boards. This bill changes a provision that currently mandates at least one member of a county planning board must also be a member of a conservation district or a state cooperative grazing district. If enacted, county planning boards would instead have the option to include such a member, rather than being required to. This directly affects how county planning boards are constituted and who serves on them.
HB 213 proposed to revise the property tax rates for Class Four residential and commercial properties. These properties include most residential homes, rental units, and commercial buildings. The bill would lower the tax rate for most residential properties from 1.35% to 0.76% of their market value. It also adjusted the tax rate calculation for single-family homes valued over $1.5 million and for commercial properties, changing their multiplier from 1.4 to 1.35 times the standard residential rate. If passed, these changes would have applied retroactively to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.
HB 418 proposed to prohibit the administration of gene-based vaccines, such as messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccines, to animals in Montana. It would have also banned the importation of animals treated with or exposed to these vaccines. The bill aimed to prevent veterinarians from prescribing or dispensing these vaccines and pharmacists from selling or distributing them for animal use. Veterinarians violating the prohibition would face a $500 misdemeanor fine for each incident.
HB 386 directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services to apply for the reinstatement of 12-month continuous Medicaid eligibility for specific groups. This would affect parents, caretaker relatives, and adults covered under Medicaid expansion. The department is required to submit amendments to existing federal waivers by September 30, 2025, to restore this continuous eligibility, which was previously allowed before certain waiver changes in 2021 and 2022. The bill would take effect immediately upon passage and approval.
HB 429, titled the "Inflation Protection Act of 2025," proposed creating a new state special revenue account within the state special revenue fund. This account would be initially funded by a $50 million transfer from the state's general fund by July 15, 2025, with additional funding from future legislative transfers. The bill authorized the Board of Investments to invest the funds in this account in precious metals, digital assets, and stablecoins. Any proceeds generated from these investments would remain within the account, affecting the state's financial management and investment strategies.
